As of January 16, 2026, computer science professor and machine learning expert Pedro Domingos has sparked widespread debate after publicly criticizing Mark Zuckerberg’s strategic pivots at Meta. In a viral post addressing the Meta CEO directly, Domingos wrote:
“Hey Zuck, the right idea at the wrong time is the wrong idea. It’s too early for the metaverse and too late for LLMs now.”
His remarks arrive at a crucial moment for Meta as the company struggles to balance massive losses in virtual reality while racing to catch up in the generative AI boom.
“Too Early for the Metaverse”
Domingos’ first criticism targets Meta’s multi-year bet on the metaverse, which has already cost the company tens of billions of dollars. Meta recently announced a 10% workforce reduction in Reality Labs, the division behind Quest headsets and Horizon Worlds, underscoring the financial pressure.
According to Domingos, while immersive computing may eventually reshape the internet, consumer readiness, hardware maturity, and social adoption are not yet aligned. He argues Meta moved prematurely, burning capital on technology that lacks a clear short-term path to profitability, validating concerns from investors who questioned the company’s 2021 rebrand.
“Too Late for LLMs”
Domingos’ second point is that Meta’s pivot to generative AI may be strategically mistimed. After years focused on VR, Meta launched its Llama open-source large language models to compete with OpenAI, Google, and Anthropic.
However, Domingos believes the AI race is already dominated by early movers like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude, which have secured enterprise partnerships and developer ecosystems. In his view, entering a crowded market even with open-source advantages risks positioning Meta as a follower rather than a leader.
Who Is Pedro Domingos?
Pedro Domingos is a Professor Emeritus at the University of Washington and author of the influential book The Master Algorithm. A respected voice in machine learning, he is known for challenging Big Tech strategies and emphasizing that timing often matters more than technical brilliance.
A Broader Industry Debate
Domingos’ critique reflects a growing belief in Silicon Valley that Meta’s metaverse obsession distracted it from the early AI boom. Analysts increasingly argue that tech success is driven by hitting the market at the right moment much like Apple’s iPhone succeeded where earlier devices like the Newton failed.
Whether Meta’s dual bets on VR and AI will ultimately pay off remains uncertain. But Domingos’ viral critique highlights a deeper industry truth: even the right ideas can fail if the timing is wrong and Meta may now be learning that lesson the hard way.
